And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
(John 14:16-18 NKJ)

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Each of the categories listed in this title, along with others that are not listed, are forms of idolatry. In each of these is the false presumption that one can be in control of oneself apart from faith in God, that a person can choose the best way for oneself apart from the design that God has declared to be the true way. In each of these categories a person trusts not God but oneself for the determination of what is the best perspective concerning human sexuality. In each of these sexuality is not honored as the truly blessed, pure, holy, and wonderful gift that God has given it to be.

From our warped, corrupted, and perverted, sinful nature, we abuse all of God’s gifts to us, including our own bodies and the life that we are meant to enjoy in connection with our bodies. Is it any worse to treat one’s body and the functions of one’s body, functions designed by God, as something to be despised, or is it worse to use those functions in ways that mock the very design clearly indicated even from a cursory anatomical observation? Is it worse to steal the proper use of sexuality through being a prude, or is it worse to steal the proper use of sexuality through fornication or adultery, or perhaps through rape or incest?

All of these are perversions of human sexuality. All of these are deviations from the obvious design that anyone can easily observe. Moreover, the proper use of our sexuality has been clearly declared by the Creator.

The Creator also clearly states the purpose for His design.

The first aspect of this purpose is not what a person may first presume. Procreation and reproduction are not included in the first statement regarding being created male and female, as sexual beings. The first statement is that this is in accord with the image of God in which they would exist together as one. Unity in God’s communion is the first stated aspect of being created as we are. The man was created first. But man was not complete without woman. So from the man God took flesh and bone and created woman, to be joined in union with the man as one flesh. In their God ordained union they were complete. Together they were man, created in the image of God. They were designed to be a perfect fit with one another, to unite as one and to continue in that union, in the likeness of God’s union with Man in Christ.

Next stated is the aspect of reproduction and filling the earth with children who would likewise live together in the image of God, that is, Christ. Together Man would live in communion with God and thus with one another. They would enjoy together the manifold blessings of the cosmos. They would fill up the earth with people who would rejoice together in the goodness of the family of God.

And thus also is observed the aspect of family in God’s purpose. God’s loving providence would be manifested in the family structure. Unity and love would be demonstrated in everything. Husband and wife would come together in the union of God’s love and design and children would be produced through God’s blessing of their union together. These children would be nurtured by their parents in God’s love. They would grow to become parents themselves. All of mankind would gather on the Sabbath to be refreshed in the Lord’s communion. They would enjoy all that it means to be the children of God living under His Fatherly care.

Adam’s willingness to accept the devil’s notion of free will overturned this design. Now Adam and his wife saw their nakedness and were ashamed. They no longer were covered and clothed with the image of God, but now stood as mere earthlings, creatures of dust and ash. The glory of God was no longer theirs. Now they stood corrupted and exposed in their corruption. The perfect unity into which they had been joined was disrupted. The holy relationship of God’s communion was perverted by their deviation from His Word and will.

The farther that people transgress from the Word and will of God, the more deviant their views of themselves and of what is good become. Even the clear anatomical witness becomes muted by the noise of their corrupted thoughts and opinions and imaginations and fears and insecurities.

But the Lord was not willing to leave His beloved children to wander aimlessly to their peril and destruction. He came calling for them with the plan of redemption and salvation and restoration that He had for them even from eternity. He gave the promise of the Savior who would be born of the woman. He brought that Savior into the world through the virgin Mary. He established His Church on earth for the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments for the ongoing reconciliation of Man to God in Christ. In this way the image of God is restored, at first still in connection with our corrupted flesh, but in the Resurrection with flesh that has been changed into incorruptible.

At that time the marital union of male and female will no longer be functional, for the marriage of Christ and His Church shall supercede it. Those who have been incorporated into the body of Christ shall be truly one with one another in Christ and together they all shall rejoice in God’s Holy Communion forevermore.

Then no more corruption of the human nature and perversion of the human will shall exist. Even the desire for sexual union will become obsolete, as perfect union with God in Christ shall be enjoyed by all the saints. True fulfillment shall then be realized by all.

For the current time, however, God still has plans for husbands and wives to be joined through marriage in the unity of the one true faith so that all who are to be born in this world to hear the Gospel and be joined into God’s family shall be. And so we wrestle with our fleshly desires, created holy but corrupted through unbelief and transgression. Even though mankind greatly abuses these desires and gifts, God still uses them for good. Those who recognize this seek to use these wonderful gifts of God and to enjoy them in accord with His good and gracious will. Thus healthy families are produced and new children are brought into the world to rejoice in God’s goodness. This is true also for those husbands and wives to whom God reserves life without children of their own, as they nevertheless rejoice in their God given union together in their bodies as well as assembling with those who demonstrate the even greater union of the common confession of the one true faith by which all of mankind is reclaimed as God’s family and restored to the unity of His image once again.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

At the end of this video are some statements intended to comfort a person that reduced concentrations of this acid will not have detrimental effects upon teeth and bones. Do you feel comforted by this propaganda?

I myself did not realize that this substance was added to soft drinks and especially to colas. I gave up these a number of years ago because of the awareness of other added ingredients of concern.

I recently researched phosphoric acid when I learned that my peeled garlic cloves were treated with this chemical and I wanted to learn what effects this could have upon my health. Now I am very concerned.

I have used garlic not only for its flavor, but also for its health benefits. But if my consumption of garlic includes consumption of harmful chemicals added to my otherwise healthful foodstuff, why bother with it all?

Many people will likely read the information that reduced concentrations and direct exposure periods of teeth to phosphoric acid are not harmful and will continue ignoring the reality that these chemicals enter the blood and accumulate. Many people will choose to ignore the clear warning of what this chemical does and that long term exposure does have effects, and will continue consuming products that have this chemical added in very significant amounts that have effects that are not immediately obvious. Some of these people later may want the government to punish the companies who added these chemicals to their consumable goods. Others may decide to sue for damages. And a few may heed the warnings and ask what better alternatives are available that allow them to be better stewards of the marvelous bodies that the Lord has given to them.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

At Iran Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Acquitted of Apostasy, Released From Jail it is reported that after three years this poor man and his family are finally reunited. The man whom the Muslims wanted to murder for the false accusation of apostasy, has been spared this hateful action. They have not killed him. He was accused of converting from Islam to Christianity. He never professed to believe in Allah. Nevertheless, those who hate Christ wanted to kill this man. So far, his three year imprisonment has been counted as enough hatred displayed, along with changing his sentence:

Though acquitted of apostasy, the Iranian pastor was found guilty of evangelizing Muslims. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment but was released because he already served this time.

Such is the way of peace practiced by those who bow down to Allah. Many who call themselves Muslims will argue that this is not truly the way of Islam. Yet their writings from their one true prophet of Allah do teach this as their way. Moreover, those who practice Islam regularly support Jihad with their money. And finally, they do not denounce those who do this as condemned by their God. They may say that this is not truly the way of Islam, but they do not actually condemn it, either. Some exceptions may be found, but they do not count themselves as truly separate from their Muslim brothers who do these things. So what is to be concluded?

Sadly, Christianity has been abused so that many imagine that the Bible and the faith taught in the Bible can be likened to this religion of Muhammad. Sadly, it is true, that many who have professed to be of Christ and of His Church have acted shamefully, inhumanely, and against all that Christ has ordained for those who are His disciples. Horrible atrocities have been committed in the name of Jesus.

So is there a difference?

The Bible teaches that those who are of Christ love their enemies and pray for them.

The Bible teaches that the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Christ, is not of this world but is a spiritual kingdom and that the disciples of Jesus are not to seek to establish a kingdom by any force other than the means of grace, that is, the pure preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments. No one is to be coerced to believe. No one is to be threatened beyond the warning of the self-condemnation of rejecting God’s Word and grace, which finally result in the very thing that the person has chosen for oneself, everlastingly to be cut off from the life in God’s Holy Communion, to be everlastingly confined instead to the ways of those who reject life in God’s Communion.

The Bible teaches that God’s governance of His Church is through Word and water and bread and wine, which administered as He has ordained provide limitless grace, mercy, and peace through forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration, renewal, and healing. Through these it is taught that God gives His very own body and blood, mind and spirit, to His Church, the communion of His saints on earth. These saints count themselves as subjected to one another in the love of Christ, bound together not by their act of submission, but by the love and peace of God.

Much more can be said, but even with this much, does the Church of Christ and the faith of this Christian Church sound at all like what is openly professed and practiced within Islam?

Sadly, however, it must be admitted that this Church of Christ is very small and hard to find, so that Christians are perceived to be what is commonly observed in the world. If a person is open to seek the Church that the Bible declares to be truly of God, where will this person find this Church?

Will Christ be found in the big cathedrals? Will He be found in the Mega churches? Will He be found in the many little churches? Where will He be found?

Where does He say that He is to be found?

It is a shame that such hate crimes have been and continue to be committed as Youcef Nadarkhani and his family have experienced. It is horrible to know that such hate crimes happen in all parts of the world, even by those professing to be disciples of Christ. One example is reported again at Church says military funeral protests will continue despite new restrictions. This truly is a hate crime. I’m not sure that under the Constitution of the United States that it should be illegal, but it certainly is a crime motivated by hatred. And this is really very small compared to the atrocities committed that have been recorded throughout history.

What hope is there? Will the hatred ever end? Will these terrible acts ever stop?

For some, they already have. For those whom the Holy Spirit gathers into the name of Jesus through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit so that they confess their sins together and receive God’s absolution and then humbly receive God’s body and blood at His Table of forgiveness and life, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding does guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Gathered into His name they begin to experience the end of the hatred and begin to enjoy the life of God’s love together which overflows to everyone whom they encounter.

But for others, those who choose for themselves another way, who reject the pure means of grace that God has ordained for our salvation and healing, they shall continue forevermore in the ways in which they now continue. Mankind, according to his corrupted nature, always resorts to the ways that we observe all around us. It is as the Epistle reading for this week declares:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness,revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

The contrast is stark. The former is not a choice. It is what has been inherited according to the sinful nature. One can even say that this propensity is genetic, as it inheres to the flesh.

The latter is not a choice either. It is what is inherited in connection with the rebirth through water and spirit. It is a new life that accompanies the baptismal gift of the indwelling of the Spirit of God. The Word, Jesus, is in the consecrated water. He gives the promised Spirit. The Spirit generates the new life of faith. This faith then rules the heart and mind and spirit of the newly generated saint. This faith is nurtured through the continual gathering for the feast of Word and Sacrament.

But the flesh and the spirit are at war. This is true even within the newborn saint, so that the flesh continually needs to be crucified through confession and absolution and feasting at the Supper of Everlasting Life in God’s Communion.

In the world this war is manifested openly with persecutions against the saints. The true saints are sometimes tolerated by the world, but eventually the world rises up again against the saints. The true Church is seen as the enemy because the saints stand apart from the world even though they live in the world. The true Church even stands apart from the so-called visible church, the church that makes so much noise about how much they love God and how much they love Jesus and how hard they try to be “good” Christians and to conquer the world for Jesus and to conform the world to the good ways. Often the most severe persecution of the saints is instigated by this so-called visible church.

And so the war continues. It appears to be very one sided, since the only weapons that the true saints use in defending the Church and the Faith are the pure Word and Sacraments. To everyone but these saints this seems like utter futility. But to all the believing it is the power of God into salvation. (Rom. 1:16)

The release from jail of Youcef Nadarkhani is cause for rejoicing, even from a secular perspective. It is always a cause for rejoicing when those who are acting hatefully are turned from their evil ways. And of course, for Youcef and for all of the people, there is a respite from these acts against them. Surely all of the people in Iran can sigh at least a brief sigh of relief.

Since this information is known within the so-called scientific community, why are there groups who are investing much in promoting increased usage of fluoride? From whence do they derive these huge monetary resources?

Propaganda is not always a bad thing, even though in common parlance we have misused this word and construed it with such a negative connotation. Propaganda is:

The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause.

Propaganda may be entirely true, partially true, or entirely untrue. Thus a person needs to examine propaganda discerningly before accepting it as true.

Regarding the CDC’s Flu propaganda, here is an excerpt from Rappoport’s report:

In December of 2005, the British Medical Journal (online) published a shocking report by Peter Doshi, which spelled out the delusion and created tremors throughout the halls of the CDC.

Here is a quote from Doshi’s report:

“[According to CDC statistics], ‘influenza and pneumonia’ took 62,034 lives in 2001—61,777 of which were attributable to pneumonia and 257 to flu, and in only 18 cases was the flu virus positively identified.”

Rappoport continues to explain the absurdity of the CDC’s propaganda, in which is an obvious obfuscation of the facts. Yet upon this obfuscation propaganda, many people are led to overreact with fear so that they rush to be inoculated with flu viruses with which they may otherwise have absolutely no contact whatsoever. Moreover, the vaccines have other added ingredients that have no medical benefit and are actually dangerous to the person’s health.

Additionally, vaccines themselves are dangerous. People are being vaccinated in drug stores and supermarkets for crying out loud!

Furthermore, how is it that no one thinks to ask the propagandists about the fact that their reports of deaths from pneumonia include people who have received their promoted vaccines? People receiving these vaccines often still suffer from the flu! The fact is, that sometimes, even more than sometimes, people get the flu because of the vaccination!

Many years ago I experienced this myself. At the seminary is an infirmary run by a kindly nurse. At least at that time a very generous doctor had regular office hours. He performed his services pro bono (without charge).

That one season I received a flu vaccination, which the nurse administered. That year I experienced the worst case of the flu of my life! Later, when I asked the doctor about the matter, he said that this is why he never recommends getting the flu shots, because in his experience 65 percent of those vaccinated actually got the flu from the vaccination.

He is not the only doctor to report this.

I have never had another flu shot since that experience, and I have never had such a case of the flu since.

There are measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of the flu being contracted.

One of the most important is to allow sufficient time for sleep. Sleep deprivation weakens one’s body and immune system. A weakened and tired body is more likely to become infected.

Good nutrition is also essential for good health and for maintaining an effective immune response at the cellular level.

Certain foods are very beneficial in this regard. Organic foodstuffs that are free of pesticides and processed glutamic acid and processed aspartic acid and other added chemicals should be selected when preparing meals and snacks. The more that foods are processed, the less natural value that remains and the more negative effects the foodstuffs have.

Locally produced and unprocessed honey is very beneficial in reducing allergies.

Elderberry juice, concentrate, or extract also is very helpful.

Garlic and ginger and turmeric also have many benefits. MANY benefits!

The more non-polluted fruits and vegetables that a person consumes, the better.

As for the dangers of the flu viruses, of course one should not ignore anything that attacks and weakens one’s body. The flu certainly does this to a person. When one is in a weakened condition, then the person is also more susceptible to other invading organisms, such as the pneumonia organisms. Thus the flu should be treated seriously and not ignored. Sufficient sleep/rest and fluids as well as maintaining the proper balance of vitamins and minerals are all essential. The body is fighting a war, fighting for survival against an invading army.

But is the propaganda that promotes everyone becoming vaccinated with a synthetically produced and contaminated vaccine to be accepted as the true way for prevention of these invading organisms? Is the deliberate injection of such an invasive and harmful organism into a person’s body, an organism that otherwise may never even be a threat to that person, is this really the best way to pursue?

This is a question worthy of asking with serious interest. What a person concludes can have powerful effects and affects regarding the health of that person’s body and family.

In this regard, what is suggested by the design and function of the human body? Does careful observation of the body’s functions suggest that injection of an invasive and dangerous organism to promote an immune response in the body is the way to promote health? Or does the body’s functions demonstrate that avoidance of a stressful lifestyle, avoidance of worrying, setting aside of unjust anger, avoidance of exposure through only “proper” interactions with others, good diet, sufficient rest, and regular exercise are the ways that best promote healthy and strong bodies with the ability to ward off invasive organisms and other diseases as well?

About Me

I am an Evangelical Lutheran pastor who earns his living as an arborist. I own my own small tree company, All Tree, and operate in Wichita, KS. I list Arborist before Pastor under Occupation because I earn my living as an arborist but my vocation is that of Pastor. I am an arborist because I take care of trees, but I am a pastor because proclaiming the Gospel of Christ crucified is my life. I can choose to stop trimming trees, but to stop proclaiming the Gospel would be to stop breathing.
Web sites for business and congregation are:
[All Tree];
[Bride of Christ ELC]